In the article, "Systematic review and meta-analysis of standard vs selective temporal lobe epilepsy surgery," Dr. Josephson and colleagues(1) analyzed information that might answer a very simple question: if a person needs temporal lobe surgery, which procedure is better? This question has been a matter of debate for many years. ...

BACKGROUND: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improves the risk of cardiovascular events in patients suffering from severe sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) but its effect on the link between delta power band that is related to deep sleep and the relative cardiac vagal component of heart rate variability, HFnu of ...

Nanocarriers are a new type of nonviral gene carriers, many of which have demonstrated a broad range of pharmacological and biological properties, such as being biodegradable in the body, stimulus-responsive towards the surrounding environment, and an abiltiy to specifically targeting certain disease sites. By summarizing some main types of nanocarriers, ...

In this review, the classification of magnetoresistance effects, the electrical conduction mechanisms without and with magnetic field, and the spintronics are briefly summarized. The magnetoresistance effect in the molecular systems including small organic molecules, carbon nanotubes, graphene, conductive polymers and their nanocomposites is critically reviewed. The four normally used models ...

Screening for esophageal varices (EV) is recommended in patients with cirrhosis. Noninvasive tests had shown varying sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for predicting EV. Splenomegaly is a common finding in liver cirrhosis because of portal and splenic congestion. These changes can be quantified by transient elastography; hence, the aim of ...

BACKGROUND: Continuity is crucial when caring for older chronically ill patients. Research has shown that the integration of patients' own perspectives on their situation is of utmost importance for continuity and quality of care. Studies have, however, demonstrated a number of problems with health professionals' communication concerning older patients, leading ...

We study the zero temperature non-equilibrium dynamics of a fermionic superfluid in the BCS limit and in the presence of a drive leading to a time-dependent chemical potential μ(t). We choose a periodic driving protocol characterized by a frequency ω and compute the fermion density, the wavefunction overlap, and the ...

Abstract Objective. Paediatric restorative dentistry continues being a challenge in everyday clinical practice. Practise-based survival analysis covering entire age cohorts offer an epidemiological approach to this issue in studying survival of restorations in primary teeth. The aim of this study was to compare survival of restorations in primary molars in ...

A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe consisting of a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dye conjugated with a 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-2,5-dihydrofuran (DCDHF) group has been designed for the selective and sensitive detection of HOCl/OCl(-)via oxidative cleavage of an alkene linker between BODIPY and DCDHF.

Multivariate random effects meta-analysis (MRMA) is an appropriate way for synthesizing data from studies reporting multiple correlated outcomes. In a Bayesian framework, it has great potential for integrating evidence from a variety of sources. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian model for MRMA of mixed outcomes, which extends previously ...

The hippocampus is believed to be affected by various stimuli that include hyperglycemia, depression, and ischemia. Furthermore, calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) have protective roles in response to such stimuli. However, little is known concerning the expression of CaBPs under diabetic conditions. This study examined changes of physiological parameters, and time-dependent changes ...

It was found for the first time that single tail ionic liquid (IL) surfactants, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromides [Cnmim]Br (n = 10, 12, 14), form unilamellar vesicles in aqueous solutions without any additives. With the increase in IL concentrations, the self-assembly of these ILs can transfer from spherical micelles to rodlike micelles ...

CCR9 antagonism is a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of Crohn's disease. CCR9 is expressed on the cell surface of memory/effector CD4(+) T cells and selectively binds to the small intestinal lymphocyte chemoattractant CCL25 (TECK). Blockade of the CCR9/CCL25 interaction inhibits lymphocyte homing to the intestinal mucosa, thereby ...

The scope of the asymmetric silyl transfer to unsaturated lactones utilising a C2-symmetric NHC-Cu(i) catalyst has been established and kinetic resolutions mediated by silyl transfer have been used to prepare enantiomerically enriched anti-4,5-disubstituted 5-membered lactones. The method has been exploited in an expedient synthesis of (+)-blastmycinone.

The initialization of a resident hole spin by the absorption of a circularly polarized light at resonance involves the formation of an excited state called a trion state. For a pure heavy hole, this optical initialization is mediated by the hyperfine electron-nuclear coupling in the trion state. We show here ...

BACKGROUND: The slaughterhouse is a central processing point for food animals and thus a source of both demographic data (age, breed, sex) and health-related data (reason for condemnation and condemned portions) that are not available through other sources. Using these data for syndromic surveillance is therefore tempting. However many possible ...

Objective. To evaluate number, type, and complexity of arrhythmias in diabetics compared with controls and, among diabetics, comparing good glycaemic control (GGC) and poor glycaemic control (PGC) patients. Methods. We compared Ambulatory Electrocardiogram recordings of 92 diabetics and 100 controls. The glycaemic profile of 50 diabetics, taken the same day ...

BACKGROUND: Several macroevolutionary hypotheses propose a synchrony between climatic changes and variations in the structure of faunal communities. Some of them focus on the importance of the species ecological specialization because of its effects on evolutionary processes and the resultant patterns. Particularly, Vrba's turnover pulse hypothesis and resource-use hypothesis revolve ...

We demonstrate that in mesoscopic type II superconductors with the lateral size commensurate with London penetration depth, the ground state of vortices pinned by homogeneously distributed columnar defects can form a hierarchical nested domain structure. Each domain is characterized by an average number of vortices trapped at a single pinning ...

The syntheses and physicochemical properties for a series of 2,6-disubstituted-4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) dyes are reported. The use of chromophores or redox active species as π-spacers, such as BODIPY, requires the inclusion of a sufficiently conjugated donor in order to achieve appropriate charge separation upon photoexcitation. The information derived from this study ...

AIM: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is technically demanding and requires supervised training. This paper examines the short-term outcome following a component-based training in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. METHOD: Surgical outcome following laparoscopic colorectal resection was recorded on a prospective database. Cases were divided into three groups; including those performed by the fellows, ...

BACKGROUND: With the emergence of next-generation sequencing, the availability of prokaryotic genome sequences is expanding rapidly. A total of 5,276 genomes have been released since 2008, yet only 1,692 genomes were complete. The final phase of microbial genome sequencing, particularly gap closing, is frequently the rate-limiting step either because of ...

Pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamides are a novel group of gene-silencing compounds, which bind to a minor groove of double stranded (ds)DNA in a sequence-specific manner. To explore the RNA binding properties of PI polyamides targeting rat transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 Polyamide) and influenza A virus (PA polyamide), we designed dsRNAs with ...

A self-driven flow was observed in Nafion and other hydrophilic tubes immersed in water. The intratubular flow was generated when water came in contact with the tube's hydrophilic surfaces. Flow characteristics were studied in tubes of varying size, exposed to light of different intensities and wavelengths. The results lead to ...

A disordered voice may lead to social stigma as well as reduced occupational opportunities. Much of the research on this topic has investigated the effects of voice disorders from a Western perspective. The societal attitudes of international populations toward people with voice disorders (PWVD) are less well known. The purpose ...

A 2-year-old Thoroughbred horse presented with acute onset of colitis, and the intussuscepted jejunum was surgically resected. A transmural mass protruding into the lumen was found at the leading edge of the intussusceptum. Based on histological and immunohistochemical examinations, the mass was diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with metastasis ...

To compare a) a new injectable progesterone (MAD-4) with an intravaginal progesterone-releasing device, and b) natural oestradiol 17β (O17) with a synthetic oestradiol salt (OB: oestradiol benzoate) in a modified HeatSynch protocol, 51 cows were divided into four groups, each treated with one of the two sources of progesterone and ...

The brain of gastropod mollusks contains many giant neurons with polyploid genomic DNAs. Such DNAs are generated through repeated DNA endoreplication during body growth. However, it is not known what triggers DNA endoreplication in neurons. There are two possibilities: (1) DNAs are replicated in response to some unknown molecules in ...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive cancers, and surgical resection is a requirement for a potential cure. However, the majority of patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease, either metastatic (50%) or locally advanced cancer (30%). Although palliative chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with metastatic ...

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with risks for mother and infant, and the mothers' dietary habits influence breast milk composition. Polyamines are secreted in breast milk and are essential for the regulation of intestinal and immune function in newborns and infants. The present study aimed to investigate the level of polyamines ...

Ecologically mediated selection has increasingly become recognised as an important driver of speciation. The correlation between neutral genetic differentiation and environmental or phenotypic divergence among populations, to which we collectively refer to as isolation-by-ecology (IBE), is an indicator of ecological speciation. In a meta-analysis framework, we determined the strength and ...

A transfer matrix method is developed for optical calculations of non-interacting graphene layers. Within the framework of this method, optical properties such as reflection, transmission and absorption for single-, double- and multi-layer graphene are studied. We also apply the method to structures consisting of periodically arranged graphene layers, revealing well-defined ...

Conversion to a full sternotomy may complicate up to 1.8% of the sternal-sparing coronary artery surgery. Left internal mammary artery injury and anastomotic problems are the common causes. The purpose of this article is to retrospectively review the outcomes of six patients that required conversion to sternotomy during minimally invasive ...

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of furanoverrillin (5), a highly functionalized core of verrillin (1), is reported. The synthetic strategy is based on constructing bicyclic lactone 17 prior to the 10-membered ring macrocyclization. The effect of the C4 methyl group on the furan reactivity is also discussed.

BACKGROUND: There is now substantial evidence that only a subpopulation of cells in solid cancers is able to sustain tumour growth and to re-initiate new tumours. Various cancers and cancer-derived cell lines, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), have a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), marked by ...

Aims: We investigated whether sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) are superior to next-generation zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) in treating patients with total coronary occlusions (TCO). Methods and results: In a prospective, randomised trial we compared the SES with the zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES; Endeavor or Resolute) after successful recanalisation of TCO. During the first ...

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis, listeriosis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes, but can be prevented by simple precautions of pregnant women. Literature suggests that pregnant women are not always adequately informed by their care provider about preventable infectious diseases and most pregnant women have a low level of knowledge regarding ...

The ultrastructure of the mature spermatozoon of the type genus of the Plagiorchiidae Plagiorchis elegans (Rudolphi, 1802), a parasite of the Golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus is described. This study is the first ultrastructural study of the spermatozoon of a Plagiorchis, the second of a plagiorchiid species and only the third ...

Chloroethenes like trichloroethene (TCE) are prevalent environmental contaminants, which may be degraded through reductive dechlorination. Chemical models such as cobalamine (vitamin B12) and its simplified analogue cobaloxime have served to mimic microbial reductive dechlorination. To test whether in vitro and in vivo mechanisms agree, we combined carbon and chlorine isotope ...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant form of primary brain tumors in human. Small molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents are used for GBM diagnosis. However, conventional contrast agents have several limitations, such as low T1 relaxivity, short circulation half lives and absence of tumor targeting. ...

The trisulfur radical anion [S3]˙(-) is well-known from inorganic chemistry textbooks as the blue chromophore in ultramarine blues in which this highly reactive species is trapped in a zeolitic framework. Recent findings have revealed that [S3]˙(-) has a multi-faceted role in a variety of media, including alkali metal-sulfur batteries, aqueous ...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease in which inflammation of the joints is one of the dominant clinical abnormalities, resulting in serious morbidity. Over the past decade tumor necrosis factor antagonist (TNF antagonist) has revolutionized the treatment of RA. However, the subsequent increased risk of developing tuberculosis is ...

Cytokines and chemokines represent two important groups of proteins that control the immune system. Dysregulation of the network in which these immunomodulators function can result in uncontrolled inflammation leading to various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, characterized by chronic inflammation and bone erosion. Chemokine activity is regulated at multiple levels, such ...

In Susac syndrome, occlusions of microvessels-presumed to be mediated by an autoimmune response to an as yet unknown antigen-lead to a characteristic clinical triad of CNS dysfunction, branch retinal artery occlusions, and sensorineural hearing impairment. Susac syndrome is considered a rare but important differential diagnosis in numerous neurological, psychiatric, ophthalmological, ...

Telomeres are involved in maintaining genomic stability. Previous studies have linked both telomere length (TL) and telomere-related genes with cancer. We evaluated associations between telomere-related genes, TL, and breast cancer risk in an admixed population of US non-Hispanic white (1,481 cases, 1,586 controls) and U.S. Hispanic and Mexican women (2,111 ...